Protein fingered in rare psychosis
By Nathan Seppa
Doctors have long known that fasting exacerbates porphyria, an inherited disease marked by psychotic episodes. They’ve also known that glucose infusions, which induce insulin secretion, can mitigate the attacks.
Researchers report in the Aug. 26 Cell that a protein called PGC-1-alpha is the linchpin connecting fasting, glucose, and insulin with porphyria episodes.
Porphyria probably caused the madness of King George III (SN: 8/6/05, p. 94: Available to subscribers at King George III should have sued). In people with this condition, mutated enzymes lead to the manufacture of defective heme, an essential iron compound found in many proteins. Instead of having healthy heme, porphyria patients accumulate toxic versions, bringing on sporadic attacks of psychosis.